Reflections
by David Shigure
Summary: A demon has been resurrected in mainland China by the lecherous Happosai. The demon is that of a 17-year old girl. She's threatening to destroy the one that imprisoned her. But then why is she coming after Ranma? A Ranma & Akane pairing.
1. Night of Fate

This is my third fan fiction story. I've been dying to write a Ranma ½ story for ages.  
It won't be like 'Verbena' or 'Passion' where every chapter is stupidly long, that way I can throw out more and more chapters every other day or so.

I hope you enjoy my litte story, leave some nice reviews!! and if your bored, you can read my other stories:)

Summary: **"Reflections" **'I love you...but you don't know that...not yet...'

A 700 year old demon has been resurrected in mainland China by the lecherous Happosai. She takes the form of a beautiful 17 year old . Vowing to destroy the one who imprisoned her she travels to Japan, to the little town of Nerima. The question is, why is she after Ranma?  
According to the Legend passed down through the Saotome school of Anything-Goes, Ranma's ancestor, the legendary Yosho Saotome imprisoned this demon 700 years ago. According to the demon, Ranma looks exactly like him!

A Ranma and Akane pairing.

* * *

'Reflections' – A Ranma ½ Story

Chapter 1: Night of Fate.

Night had fallen. Nerima was shrouded in darkness, lit only by the soft glow of the street lamps and the stars.

For the Tendo dojo, all was quiet. Gentle snoring was the only sign of life, as everybody was asleep. Everybody, except the teenage boy, lying on the roof, gazing at the stars, restless.

Ranma Saotome sighed. "Tomorrow's the big day." He muttered to himself. He stretched out his arms and yawned. "Akane's seventeenth birthday."

_She thinks we've all forgotten. Can't wait to see her face when she sees what we've done..._

He smiled to himself. His hands began to feel a little cold. He placed them in his pockets. He felt a small, round box inside his left pocket.

_Akane's present..._

Ranma drew the small box from his pocket. He held it up to the sky, turning the box around in his fingers. It had taken a while to earn the money for it. It had taken even longer to choose the right words he wanted to engrave on it, and trying to get a nice picture for it had been difficult. Akane had been really shy that day, but eventually she had given in.

The two of them smiling, her head resting on the crook of his neck, a faint, red tinge across her face, Ranma with his arm around her shoulders. A perfect picture.

Ranma opened the box. He pulled out a long, silver chain. At the end was a heart-shaped locket. Ranma held it up against the stars. The locket sparkled in the starlight. He smiled, it really was beautiful.

He opened it up. On one side was the picture, Akane blushing with his arm around her shoulder. On the other side was the engraving, the words he'd spent forever thinking of.

"You are so cute!" He read aloud. It was simple, easy and effective. At least he hoped it would be.

His long black ponytail fluttered against the breeze, his sparkling chestnut eyes spoke of a smile deep within. The image of a girl floated through his mind. She had short blue hair, cute hazel eyes and a beautiful smile.

_Akane..._

Ranma couldn't stop thinking about her. It had been a year since he had met Akane. Before they had met, it had always been him and his pops, running away from some trouble they'd kicked up throughout their travels. Then it was Jusenkyo, the sacred training ground in which Ranma had been cursed with the body of a beautiful red-headed girl, which kicked in every time he was splashed with cold water. But it was only temporary, all it needed was a splash with hot water and he got his masculinity back.

He remembered the first day they had met. Ranma in his girl form, kicking and screaming on his Pops shoulder, him in his cursed panda form. Akane had her long hair back then, along with her burning hatred for males. Ranma sighed happily.

_She's changed a lot. At least, to me she has..._

In the beginning, Ranma and Akane really didn't get on well with each other. Maybe it was something about the way they were introduced, or maybe it was Ranma taunting her that he had a better figure in his girl form. Whatever it had been, the result hadn't been pretty. It had been a long time before Akane had finally, somewhat, opened up to Ranma.

He turned on to his side, picking at the tiles on the roof. He still didn't know exactly how she felt. After all they had been through, he still only had a vague idea that she actually liked him.

_Or maybe i'm just fooling myself?_

He shook his head. "No way, she's definitely been nicer to me. Now it's my turn to do something for her."

He sat up, looking at the moon. A smile appeared across his face.

_I love you, Akane Tendo..._

...

Miles away, on a rocky, stormy mountain somewhere in China, a small, ancient looking man was steadily climbing. He held a small scroll in his hands and was reading aloud some sort of spell. He then rolled it up and tucked it safely in his jacket. "Just a little further..." The old man grumbled.

After what felt like hours, the old man stumbled into a cave, not far from the top of the mountain. A faint orange glow seemed to illuminate the interior. "Here we are." The old man smiled. "Time to get to work."

He walked to the back of the cave, which wasn't very deep. The orange glow seemed to be coming from a glyph, etched onto a sealed part of the cave. The glyph was formed in a strange symbol, its light radiated power. The old man seemed to be overwhelmed by it. "Oh boy, it's definitely her!"

He took the scroll out of his jacket and unfurled it. He began to read, speaking in a strange dialect. After a while, the light began to fade, until it disappeared completely. The old man pulled out a torch from his backpack and set it alight. The cave began to glow orange again, shadows flickering in its light. The sealed part of the cave had been split in two, revealing an entrance. "Here goes..." The old man sounded slightly nervous.

He entered the sealed cavern, illuminating it's size. It was a big cavern, it was circular with a round pool of water in the middle, which covered a round tomb, made out of a crystal like substance. The old man walked up to the watery tomb, holding the torch high to see what lay within.

The body of a woman was what lay in the tomb. She had long, beautiful cyan hair which stretched past her waistline. Her face was cute, looking not a day older than seventeen. She had a slim figure, and held her hands together, laying them on her breasts, as she slept for eternity.

The old man gasped in awe as he admired her beauty. "That has got to be the sexiest looking demon I have ever seen..."

He turned his eyes back to the scroll, searching for the spell that would release her from the curse.

_Hold on baby, I'll get you out of there..._

He began to speak in his strange dialect again. The eyelids of the sleeping girl fluttered. Her crystal tomb began to glow a bright blue colour. Suddenly, a large cracking noise was heard. The old man covered his eyes, blinded by the blue aura. The girl's tomb had shattered, the pieces melting away. Her body rose, like a puppet, placing herself on her feet.

She stumbled, like a toddler trying his first steps. She opened an eyelid cautiously, revealing her eyes to be golden. She rubbed her eyes softly, yawning. "W-Where am I?" She groaned. The old man couldn't stop staring, her beauty had him hypnotised. "Hello? Old man?" The girl waved a hand in front of him. "You're in China." The old man had regained his composure. "Ahh, so I'm still here..." The girl looked thoughtful. She looked back at the old man. "What's your name?"

"Happosai." The old man replied warily. If he had given his full name, he would be in trouble. "Nice to meet you, Happosai. I'm Ryoko." The girl winked at him. "I know who you are, Miss Ryoko." Happosai bowed his head. "It is an honour to meet with you in person."

"My, my..." Ryoko blushed softly. "I want to ask you something, Miss Ryoko?" Happosai spoke delicately. She winked at him. "Sure, fire away."

"Come with me, to Japan. There's somebody there I'd like you to meet. And I'm sure you'd like to meet him too."

Ryoko looked confused at this. "Someone I'd like to meet?" Happosai smiled. "An old friend."

"Ooh, a friend? Yeah sure, I'll go with you. Who is this friend?" Ryoko looked excited. "I wouldn't get too excited if I were you. It's the person who sealed you in this cave. The person who you fought seven hundred years ago, here, in China." Happosai suddenly looked serious.

Ryoko's expression had changed dramatically. Her eyes glowed with fury.

"Yosho Saotome..."

* * *

And there you have it folks. A short introduction to a story that's going to become something big!  
For the first chapter, it felt short...even to me. But i just ran out of ideas. So he next chapter will be bigger, I promise you!;)

Chapter 2: _Omen_

It's Akane's birthday! Will Ranma confess his feelings on Akane's special day? Will Happosai and Ryoko gatecrash the party? Stay tuned for the next chapter, it'll be great!

A/N: Does the name Ryoko seem familiar? For all those who have seen Tenchi Muyo! It's that same Ryoko, kinda. I used her as a character in my story. She just seemed so fitting for a 700 year old demon who's drop dead gorgeous. ;)


	2. Omen

Heya, and welcome to Chapter 2 of 'Reflections'  
Hope you guys enjoy it, it took me a while. ;)

* * *

'Reflections' – A Ranma ½ story

Chapter 2 Omen

Sunlight burst into the previously pitch black room. The light shone bright, irritating Ranma Saotome. He writhed around in his futon, turning his head on to the pillow. "Boy, wake up! Akane's still asleep, and we still have to get ready." The looming figure of his father growled.

"J-just…another…minute." Ranma groaned. His body was crying out for rest. He'd been up all night, lying on the roof, thinking. His mind, on the other hand, wanted to begin with the birthday preparations.

He slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes softly. "What time is it?" He asked. Genma sighed. "It's just past seven. We'd better get a move on, you know how early Akane likes to wake up." Ranma grunted in reply.

"I'll head downstairs, the breakfast is cooking, and I want you to bring it up to her. Hurry up and get dressed, you can't go into her room wearing nothing but your vest and boxers." Genma left the room, closing the sliding door behind him.

Ranma's head collapsed back onto the pillow, his eyes wide open.

_It's not like she hasn't seen me in my boxers before…_

He began to think through the day ahead.

_First, it's breakfast in bed. Second, the party downstairs, and thirdly, I  
have to find a way of giving her the locket, in private…_

He chuckled softly. "In private? Privacy's hard to come by at the Tendo's."

He got out of the futon slowly, his long black ponytail snaking behind him. The sun illuminated his athletic figure, a shadow mimicked his every move behind him.

...

Downstairs in the living room, a dark-haired man sat reading a newspaper. He sniffed the air hungrily, and sighed sadly. "Why don't they ever make me breakfast in bed?"

"Because, Daddy, this is the day Ranma finally confesses his love to Akane, so he's making it extra special for her." A girl with shoulder length hair and brown eyes walked into the living room, taking a seat at the table.

"But, Nabiki..." Soun Tendo began to moan. "Hey, don't complain, Ranma said he's going to make something special for all of us after he's whipped us whatever he's cooking for Akane...which I must say, is beginning to smell impressive, even to my tastes." Nabiki sniffed the air, inhaling deeply.

The door to the living room slid open. Another girl, this time with slightly longer hair and dark eyes peeked in. "Morning father, is Ranma making Akane breakfast already?"

"Apparently so, Kasumi. I'm surprised Akane hasn't been attracted by the smell as it is." Nabiki seemed to be hyperventilating, trying to absorb as much of the heavenly smell as she could.

"I'll go check on him then, see how he's doing." Kasumi slid the door shut. She walked down the hall and entered the kitchen. Ranma was twiddling with the cooker, frying bacon and reading a book, 'How to cook, for dummies.'

"You okay in here, Ranma?" Kasumi walked up to the teenage martial artist. "Yeah, everything's good Kasumi. Do you reckon it looks good so far?" He looked around at the fried egg, toasted cheese sandwiches, sausages and bacon. "I tried making a traditional western breakfast, Akane said to me that she's only had it a few times, and that it was delicious."

Kasumi looked over the meal with her cooking eye, picking up only one or two small flaws in what was otherwise, a perfect breakfast. "Well, it looks pretty good to me Ranma. But you might want to keep an eye on the bacon, flip it over so both sides get cooked evenly." She smiled at him.

_He's such a nice guy. Akane must be the luckiest girl in the world._

...

Walking up the stairs, Ranma made sure not to drop the tray. A traditional western breakfast, a glass of orange juice, a knife and fork threatened to fling themselves off the tray and ruin his perfect breakfast in bed.

He finally made it her room. Her name embroidered onto a small duck shaped plaque outside her door confirmed it's owner. He opened the door gently. Sunlight was pouring into the room, Akane was still fast asleep, a smile stretched over her face.

_I wonder what she's been dreaming about?_

Ranma placed the tray on her bedside cabinet. He placed his hands on her shoulders and shook them gently. "Hey, Akane. Wake up."

Akane lolled around. "R-ranma...it's too early..." She groaned. Her short blue hair was all frizzy. It made her look cute.

She opened an eye. Dark hazel stared back at him moodily. "Ranma, this better be good." She sat up, rubbing her eyes. Ranma smiled in anticipation. "It is..." He picked up the tray and placed it in front of her gently. Her eyes opened wide, her mouth dropped. "Happy Birthday, Akane..." Ranma smiled. He gathered up his courage, and in one quick movement, leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. He stood up, mentally laughing hysterically at the look on Akane's face. "After you've eaten, come downstairs. We've got a surprise for you." He winked at her.

He walked out of the room. His face felt hot, his heart beating rapidly. He leaned against the door.

_That went well..._

On the other side of the door, Akane was still dumbstruck. She looked at the food, which looked fit for a king, and to the door. "W-what just happened?" Her face felt extremely warm, especially where he had...

Akane rubbed the spot Ranma had kissed so softly.

_He did just...Didn't he?_

She leaned on the tray, resting her head on her hand with a dreamy look on her face. With her other hand, she picked up the fork and poked at the sausages. "I guess dreams do come true..." She giggled.

...

"Jeez, Ranma's sure taking his sweet time, what's he doing up there?" Nabiki eyed the ceiling suspiciously. Everyone in the room grunted, rubbing their stomachs in anticipation of their breakfast. Suddenly, a loud voice echoed throughout the house. "Kasumi! Can you help me with this?" The voice belonged to Ranma. Kasumi jumped up and slid the door open. "Coming!"

"I hope he hasn't wrecked the kitchen." Nabiki shook her head. Before anyone had a chance to reply, the door flew open again. In it's frame stood Ranma, holding two large trays, overwhelmed with food. Kasumi followed behind, with a seemingly equal amount of food. "Breakfast is served." Ranma laughed triumphantly.

Everybody sat at the table immediately, their eyes hungry for the feast Ranma had prepared. After all the food had been placed, Ranma sat on the table. "Everyone dig in!"

...

Akane was still in a daydream, having finished off the last of her breakfast. She licked her lips happily. "That was the best breakfast ever..."

_It must of taken him ages to make it..._

Akane sighed happily. When the guy wasn't being a jerk to her, he seemed to be the nicest guy in the world. His redeeming qualities more than made up for his shortcomings. Maybe that was why she liked him...

_Or loved him...?_

A tinge of red appeared on her already flushed cheeks. She already knew the answer to that question. She had known it for a long time. She just didn't know how to say it...not yet.

She got out of bed, clearing up the remains of her breakfast. Her eyes were glazed, her head full of dreamy thoughts as she tried to pull on a shirt. Once she was fully dressed, she took her tray and made her way out of her room. She walked downstairs, passed the living room and into the kitchen, mentally noting how dark and quiet it looked in there.

...

Everybody had finished their breakfast. Their plan had been put into action. Kasumi and Nabiki were hiding in another room with the cake. Genma and Soun drew heavy curtains across the outside doors and made themselves scarce, leaving Ranma in the room by himself, hiding in the dark of the room, with his special present.

He had heard Akane walk past the door, watching her slim silhouette head towards the kitchen. He smiled nervously.

_Here goes nothing..._

He heard Akane's footsteps walk back to the living room. He watched her silhouetted hand reach to open the door. Slowly, the door slid open, a thin strip of light illuminating a narrow stretch of carpet inside the room. "Ranma?" He heard her voice pierce through the darkness. She walked in, her head turning from one side of the room to the other. Ranma slid out of his hiding place, as quiet as a mouse. He slid the door shut, plunging the room in darkness. He heard Akane gasp. There was still a very small amount of light in the room, enough so that Ranma could make out her slim figure. He crept up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Akane..." He whispered her name softly.

She had jumped slightly, he knew that it would've surprised her.

"Ranma..." She had no idea that he'd been lurking in the room. Her heartbeat raced. "Happy birthday, Akane." He moved his hands around her shoulders, hugging her. She practically melted in his arms. "I've got a present for you." Ranma moved one of his hands to his pocket, bringing out the little box that held the locket. He brought the box in front of her. As he looked over her shoulder, he opened it, revealing the silver locket inside. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she could see her and Ranma in it's silver reflection. "It's beautiful." She gasped. Ranma smiled, and lifted the necklace out of the small box. He opened the locket, revealing the photo of the two of them, and the inscription. She blushed when she saw the photo. "So that's why you wanted a photo with me..." Her voice was barely above a whisper, her excitement breaking through. Ranma murmured to confirm her suspicions. Her eyes moved to the inscription.

_You are so cute!_

The words sounded nice in her head. She giggled softly. "How long did it take to think that one up?" Ranma smiled. "Too long. It's something I should've said, a long time ago..."

Her heart skipped a beat.

_Did he just...?_

"Akane...I'm sorry that I've...umm...well, been a jerk to you...it's, kinda hard to explain...but, I just wanted to say that...i'm sorry..." He struggled to find the right words, even though he'd tried to practise what he was going to say beforehand. "So..to make it up to you, I figured I'd give you a birthday you'll never forget!"

She turned to face him, his arms still around her shoulders. He lifted up the locket, placing it around her neck, and did the catch. He stood back. "How does it look?" She looked down at her chest. "Akane...it looks beautiful." He sounded sincere. "Really?" She looked back at him, straight in the eyes. "Really."

Her body moved towards him. Her heart was beating against her chest. She had butterfly's racing around her stomach. "Ranma...I." She murmured. She felt him place his hands on her waist. She could see his eyes sparkle in the darkness. Her hands, as though they had a life of there own, moved up, her arms draped around his neck. Their faces moved closer. "Akane..."

A dream had started like this once, for Akane. In the end, they had kissed. Akane wanted, more than anything, to let that dream come true. She pressed her lips up against his, passionately. Her eyes were closed, she could feel him pull her closer. Her mind was in disarray, and bliss.

And as soon as it had begun, it was over. She felt him pull away. She opened her eyes slowly. Her mind was in shock, she couldn't believe what had just happened. Ranma smiled at her. "I told you I'd make it a birthday you'd never forget." She giggled. "Oh Ranma..."

He winked at her. "And now, it's time for the festivities to begin!" He tapped the floor twice with the heel of his foot, loudly. All of a sudden, the door slid open, with Kasumi and Nabiki supporting the cake, lit up with candles, as they walked in. Genma and Soun opened the curtains from the outside. "Happy Birthday, Akane!" Everyone sang.

...

Outside the Tendo dojo, an old man, accompanied by a much younger woman, landed. "So this is the place, Happosai?" Ryoko asked. "Yes, this is where he lives. I'll go first." The old man walked through the front door with Ryoko behind. They could hear the family singing.

_Sounds like a party...I think it's time we crashed their little party._

Happosai walked in to the living room, as casually as though he'd only been gone for five minutes. Soun and Genma both panicked when they saw him. "M-master!! H-how nice to see you..." Both men cowered in fear. "J-just in time for A-Akane's birthday..."

"Oh really?You don't mind if I brought a guest, do you?" He smiled evilly. "A guest?" Ranma and Akane both looked at the door. Ryoko had been hiding behind the door, until now, when she decided to show herself. She walked in, her golden eyes piercing through Ranma's mind.

_This is not good..._

* * *

Hope you enjoyed the story. It took me agessss to write this one. School's been weighing me down lately, ugh...school /  
anyway, reviews have been great so far, to answer a question by one of the reviewers, I did borrow Ryoko from Tenchi Muyo! But she seemed so perfect for a 700 year old demon who looked drop dead gorgeous, that i just had to put her in...


	3. Mirage Lullaby Part 1

'Reflections' – A Ranma ½ story

Chapter 3 ~ Mirage Lullaby

The atmosphere in the room was tense. Happosai stood with his arms folded, an evil glare in his eyes. His demonic companion towered over him, her golden eyes glaring at Ranma. "S-so…M-master…who is y-your lovely f-friend?" Soun Tendo was overcome by his mandatory fit of nerves associated by his master. Happosai cackled evilly.

"What's so funny?" Ranma stood up, still aware of the young woman staring at him. The old man grinned at him. "I'd like to introduce my beautiful companion. Her name is Ryoko. Ryoko Habuki."

Soun and Genma gasped simultaneously. Ryoko gave a short bow, looking up at Ranma. "Nice to meet you again, Saotome." Her golden eyes flashed at him, she was smiling malevolently. "Have we met?" Ranma strained to keep his temper under control. "Boy, don't do anything stupid!" Genma's voice quivered in fear. "Why? She's just a girl, isn't she?" He turned to face his father, a confused look stretched across his face.

"Genma…you haven't told him?" Soun stared at his long time friend, panic reflected in his eyes. Genma shook his head solemnly. Both men turned to face Ranma. He felt a foreboding sense of doom wash over him. "G-guys, your freaking me out. What haven't you told me?" He subconsciously clenched his hands into fists.

"You can't have forgotten me already, Saotome." Ryoko's eyes flashed angrily. Ranma looked at her, a confused look in his face. "I don't…" The stream of words had died out. He couldn't remember for the life of him where he might've seen this woman before.

Ryoko faced the ground. Her cyan hair covered her face in shadow, hiding her eyes. "You have forgotten me…"

She looked up again, her eyes filled with rage, and what looked like tears. She brought a hand in front of her, clenching her fist. A thin beam of orange light erupted from her fist, morphing into a sword. It hummed gently, as she walked towards him.

"No, wait…" Ranma stuttered. He backed up against a wall, surprised at her sudden display of demonic power. The whole room gasped, anticipating her intent. Ranma looked around the room, searching for an angle. Ryoko slashed at him, slicing through the paper doors behind him as he dodged her attack.

"Ranma!" Akane stood up, taking up her battle stance against the cyan-haired demon. "This is not your fight, little girl. Stay out of this." Ryoko turned to face her, pointing the orange beam of light at her. Ranma looked at the two girls, each as angry as the other.

_On one hand, there's a lightsaber- wielding demon trying to kill me, for some reason. But on the other hand, there's Akane…_

_Either way, if I get involved, I'll either get sliced and diced, or smashed with a mallet._

"Little girl, am I?" Akane snarled. A battle aura erupted around her, waves of pressure rippled around the room.

_Who does she think she is!? Demon or not, I'm gonna send her back to hell!! _

…

"Where the hell am I?" A teenage boy walked down a narrow alleyway. He was built well, his chest muscles bulging through his yellow shirt, which was matched by his yellow bandana on his jet-black hair. He was holding a map and the expression on his face suggested that he was hopelessly lost.

"This is all your fault, Ranma Saotome." He muttered to himself. He continued on down the alleyway. Glaring at the map he began to mutter again. "Stupid maps…Stupid city…Stupid Saotome."

He walked past a sign, indicating he had just entered Nerima, still trying to work out where he was on the map.

"Wait, hold on a second. If I'm reading this right, it looks like I'm heading towards Tokyo…but on the other hand, if I flip the map this way…I should already be there."

He looked up from the map. A large town lay before him. A smile spread across his face. "I'm home…"

…

A smell of burning paper filled the room. The paper doors had been cleaved in two, the edges singed from Ryoko's energy sword. Akane was breathing heavily, having dodged Ryoko's ferocious attack. "Not bad." Ryoko smirked at her. "You may have some fight in you after all."

Akane's aura only seemed to intensify at this comment. "Let's see what you can do."

Ryoko opened her palm and pointed it at Akane. Orange energy gathered at the centre of the palm, growing into a spherical ball of light. Akane's whole body tensed, her nerves screamed at her to move. "Akane!!" Ranma yelled at her.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Ranma. The sphere of energy flew from Ryoko's hands. Akane's eyes grew wide. Before he knew it he had jumped. He watched as the energy ball hit him dead in the stomach. It blasted him through the wall and out into the garden, exploding. Sparks flew throughout the cloud of smoke left behind.

…

Ryoga looked up just in time to see his rival blast out of his home. He ran over to the cloud of smoke. "What in the world was that?"

"R-Ryoga…w-what are you d-doing here?" Ranma coughed, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. "Oh, y'know, not much, I was just passing by and just happened to notice you getting your ass kicked. Who did it anyway?"

Ranma pointed to the dojo, towards to where Ryoko was floating a few meters above the ground. "Wow, you're getting kicked around by a girl?" Ryoga sounded genuinely surprised. "Damn, she's pretty cute too…" He added as an afterthought. Ranma chuckled weakly. "Does that mean I get Akane?"

"No it doesn't. My heart belongs to Akane." Ryoga's eyes were glazed over. "I'm sure it does." Ranma muttered. "Anyway, could you help me with this chick?"

"You have got to be kidding…" Ryoga shook his head. "Come on, please? Normally I wouldn't need help, but I don't think I'll be able to handle her on my own." Ranma pleaded. Ryoga looked as though he was mulling it over. "What do I get?"

"Well…you said she was cute right? She's one of these 'honourable' chicks, like Shampoo, so once you beat her, she'll fall in love with you. Then you'll have your own girl chasing you around twenty-four seven." Ranma finished with a wink.

Ryoga turned red. He smiled at Ranma. "I like it. Okay, let's go!"

The two stood up, turning towards the floating girl. "Are you two just about done discussing funeral plans?" Ryoko smirked. "Jeez, someone's cocky." Ranma shot back. She smiled malevolently. "Oh, you bet." She opened her palm again, another ball of energy shone into existence. "Catch!"

The ball of energy shot towards the two teenage martial artists. They both leapt from the blast, landing smoothly. "Was that it? That barely ruffled my hair." Ryoga pouted, running his hand through his jet-black hair. "Don't get to full of yourself, those blasts hurt." Ranma muttered. "I'm sure they do. I'll be sure not to jump in front of one then." Ryoga smiled. Ranma chuckled softly. "What's so funny?" Ryoga shot at him.

"Nothing, don't worry about it. I'm going to run at her directly, stun her, and then I want you to finish her off, whatever way you feel like." Ranma wanted to overwhelm her quickly. Ryoga just nodded. "On three." Ranma commanded. "One, two…three!"

The boys separated. Ranma ran directly at her, intensifying his battle aura. He jumped, dodging the two balls of energy she had thrown in quick succession. He landed a kick on her chest, throwing her against the dojo wall. She cried out in pain. Falling to the floor she groaned. "Still as vigorous as ever. You haven't lost your touch." She smiled voluptuously as him.

"What…?" Ranma was taken aback. "Don't you remember how it felt, Saotome?" She was grinning at him. Suddenly she jumped up on top of him, knocking him on to his back. "Now you're all mine…" Her golden eyes were inches from his own, he could feel her breathing softly against his face. "Ranma!!" Ryoga sounded high up in the air. Ryoko turned around so that she was on the floor, leaving Ranma's back exposed to Ryoga's attack.

_Crap!! He's gonna kill me!!_

Ranma rolled over again. Ryoga's foot landed, creating a shockwave that blasted the two embraced figures a few meters away. Ranma groaned. "This was not the day I was expecting it to be…"

He stood up shakily, looking around for Ryoko.

_Where is she?_

Ranma looked behind him. There she was, lying on the ground, unconscious. He walked up to the girl, kneeling down beside her. He looked her over. "She is cute…" He muttered. Unknown to him, Ryoko wasn't really unconscious. She smiled and opened one of her golden eyes very slightly.

Ranma picked her up and carried her into the dojo. He lay out a futon, placing Ryoko's body on it. "Now stay here for a sec." Ranma whispered.

End of Part 1.


	4. Mirage Lullaby Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of Mirage Lullaby. So just who is Ryoko, and what is it she wants?

* * *

'Reflections' – A Ranma ½ story

Chapter 4 ~ Mirage Lullaby part 2

_He called me cute…_

Ryoko rolled onto her back, staring at the dojo ceiling. Her eyes wandered, thinking over the recent events. It seemed as though Saotome had completely forgotten her, and he looked different. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but something had definitely changed about him. A sudden weariness over came her, the fatigue in her bones had reached its limit. She slowly closed her golden eyes. "Yosho…"

In the dining room, Ranma and Ryoga were devouring bowls of rice, one after another, like ravenous animals. "So, pops…Who is she exactly?" Ranma spoke around a mouthful of rice. Soun and Genma exchanged worried looks, nodded slowly and turned back to the two boys. "Her name, as you might've already gathered, is Ryoko. Ryoko Habuki. She's a demonic entity, born into the world only to demolish it, or at least, that was the intent…" Soun shivered.

"But as far as we've seen, she seems to be tame compared to the legends surrounding her." Genma spoke, also devouring his bowl of rice. "Tame isn't exactly the word I would've used…" Ryoga pitched in. "What legends are there about her?" Ranma suddenly sounded interested.

"Well, the most famous legend, is the probably the one about Jurai." Soun began. "Jurai?" Both boys looked up from there food. "Jurai was a planet, quite a long way away from Earth. Not much is known about it, except that it was said to be a beautiful planet, ruled by the highest sentient beings in the Universe. Seven hundred years ago, Ryoko attacked the planet, under the influence of somebody controlling her. It was never found out whom. Whilst on the planet she was confronted by a man named Yosho." Genma and Soun both quivered at his name. "So, Ryoko attacked this…Jurai. Does that make her some sort of space pirate?" Ranma was beginning to worry. He could handle demons and other like opponents, but space pirates seemed to be a little out of his league. "Yes, well, she is now. After meeting Yosho, her mind control vanished and it was said she fell in love with Yosho." Genma chuckled. "What, just like that?" Ryoga had become interested in the story. "Well obviously not just like that, I mean, it took a while but eventually she did. Yosho was taking care of her after the mind control wore off, her brain couldn't quite cope with the stress. After she had recovered, Yosho had to hide her from Jurai, who were out looking for her, a galaxy wide manhunt.

For three days she remained at Yosho's house, waiting for the heat to die down. But she wasn't exactly the patient type and so went off exploring. She was caught extremely quickly, and was brought before trial. The Royal King of Jurai proclaimed that she would be sealed for ten thousand years in a crypt, which would be transported to a planet far away. The Royal knights then proceeded to send her, when Yosho appeared, and told her that one day he would find her and release her."

Ranma was dumbstruck. It sounded like some sort of mythical fairytale. But the proof was lying, sleeping in the dojo. He didn't know whether to believe it or not. "So, whatever happened to that Yosho guy?" Ryoga said fiercely. It sounded as though he was jealous of Yosho. "We don't know. They say the people of Jurai can live for thousands of years, so theoretically, he could still be alive. If he is, he may be looking for her still. Now that she's released from the crypt, it may have broken the seal which kept her powers hidden. He could be heading straight for us." A long silence followed Soun's words. Nabiki broke the silence. "So, shouldn't we be preparing for our latest visitor? I daresay we're going to need to protect ourselves if Yosho doesn't take too kindly to us."

Ranma smirked. "If he tries anything, I'll blast him back to Jurai. I'm going to go check our little demon, see if she's conscious yet." And with that he walked off, sliding the paper door behind him. "Well he's in a good mood." Ryoga held out his bowl for seconds. "Not a day goes by without somebody trying to kill him." Akane sounded sad. She looked around the room. "Where's Happosai walked off too?" Everybody suddenly looked around for the pint sized martial artist. "This is bad. I sure hope he's not up to any of his tricks." Genma groaned.

…

Ryoko was fast asleep, snoring gently. Ranma walked into the dojo. He had been thinking something over. He sat crossed legged next to the sleeping demon. He thought about poking her to see if she would wake, but decided against it.

_Let sleeping demons lie…_

So he sat by her side, watching her chest rise and fall with every breath she took. He had to admit, she was cute. Something about her slim figure, and the way her eyes sparkled gold. But there was one other thing nagging at the back of his mind.

_Akane…_

It was still his fiancé's birthday today. The little gatecrash had left her shaken up and quiet. He hoped that she would be okay. He'd go and comfort her after Ryoko had awoken.

Talking of which, she began to stir, slowly opening her sunlit gold eyes. Yawning, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. "W-what time is it?" Ranma checked the clock in the dojo. "Around seven-thirty." Ryoko stared at the clock too. "Jeez, it's getting late…" Ranma swallowed. "Um, I'm not too sure what Happosai has put you up to, but you're welcome to stay the night." She smiled at him. "That's nice, but I did just try to kill you, aren't you taking just a bit of a chance with me?"

"Hmph, nearly everybody in this house has tried to kill me sometime or another, and besides, I don't think that you will. You're too…" His words stopped flowing; he couldn't quite believe what he was just about to say. "I'm too what? Saotome?" Her golden eyes sparkled in the low light of the dojo. "Too…um…nice" Ranma quickly tried to backtrack. Her eyes had him hypnotised. She was drawing closer. His heart beat sky rocketed.

_What the hell is she doing!?_

Ranma quickly grabbed her shoulders. A million things to say raced through his mind. "Um…Ryoko, there's something…I've got to tell you." Ryoko wouldn't stop drawing closer. Ranma wasn't exactly pushing her away, more like trying to stop her falling on top of him. "What is it?" Ryoko's voice was barely above a whisper. "I…" Ranma couldn't bring himself to say it. He wasn't Yosho. He was Ranma. Sure, he was still a Saotome, but not the one she fell in love with. But still, just to say those words, seemed as though it would shatter her heart. It was the last thing Ranma wanted to do to anyone. "Ryoko…I. I'm not…" Ranma tried to string something together. He hated having to lie, more than having to tell the truth. "Your not? Not what?" Ryoko sounded confused.

Ranma sighed. It was now or never. Tell the truth, or face the hell of lying later. "I'm not…Yosho Saotome." He hung his head. He thought that she would've been angry. Sad. Maybe even heartbroken. But he was certainly not expecting her to burst out laughing. "Oh jeez, was that what you were worried about?" Ryoko giggled uncontrollably. After the gales had subsided she wiped a tear from her eye. "I knew you weren't Yosho. It occurred to me after the fight that we had. For one thing, your fighting style is different to that of Yosho's. And for another, you look almost identical to him, except for one thing. Your eyes. Their not the same colour as his were." She leaned in closer, staring deep into his eyes. "Your eyes…there pretty." She murmured softly. Her face was inches from his own, her breathing rapid against his face. "I…" Ranma couldn't move. Every muscle in his body had stopped responding, as though they had frozen. He fell back towards the floor, with Ryoko on top of him. He could see his reflection in her eyes, his expression seemed confused.

"Ranma Saotome." Ryoko breathed his name against his ear, nibbling it softly. His mind was screaming at him.

_Akane's coming!! She's right outside the dojo, her hand sliding back the paper door._

His body however, was in a contradiction, replacing panic with ecstasy. Ryoko softly traced his pectorals, leaning her head in against them. "I've been alone for so long." She whispered. His mind was numb. What was he supposed to say?

She moved up, her eyes locking with his own. She slowly leaned in. All of Ranma's senses screamed at him. His instincts were in turmoil. Her scent seemed to put him in a trance. It reminded him of Sakura trees. He imagined the two of them just lying in a forest, with the Sakura's cherry blossoms falling all around them. He closed his eyes. She softly brushed his lips. His mind was still battling with his conscious. He quickly rolled her over. "N-no…we can't!" He finally regained his ability to speak. Ryoko smiled. "I know you can't…" She giggled softly. "You have a couple of fiancé's, right? What's one more going to do?"

"So now you're my fiancé?" Ranma sounded confused. "Well done, Casanova." She winked at him. "This is going to be interesting." Suddenly, the door to the dojo opened. A figure stood, silhouetted against the twilight.  


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Akane is **not **going to like this, is she? :P  
I sure hoped you enjoyed it, it was hard figuring out where I wanted this part of the story to go. It opens a few doors for later chapters.

Please R&R.  
David Shigure .x


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